


All Things Great and Small

by Starshaker



Series: 30 days of Techienician [13]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: 30 Days of Techienician, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Animals, Arachnophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 17:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8064712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshaker/pseuds/Starshaker
Summary: 30 Days of TechienicianDay 13 : Animals 
Animal rights protesters enter the First Order offices. It's funny...until it isn't.





	

It wasn’t unheard of for there to be protests outside of the First Order offices. It was slightly more unexpected to see the protesters in the main foyer of the building. Further still for that protest to have introduced a petting zoo to everywhere visible from the front desk. 

Techie had dragged Matt off for their ‘break and from an alcove near the reception desk they watched the chaos erupt. 

“There was a chicken in the basement,” Techie said as they watched a security guard argue and attempt to manhandle the protesters out of the door. 

“Is it still there?” Matt asked.

“No. One of the activists came and caught it,” Tehcie said as his eyes followed an iguana prodding across towards the canteen.

“They had a llama a few minutes ago,” Matt said. 

“They spit don’t they?”

“Yeah,”

“What are the First Order testing on llamas?” Techie asked under his breath.

“Hair products I think,” Matt said with a shrug.

“Huh,” Matt said and Techie glanced across at him. “I didn’t think you were okay with PDAs?”

“What?”

“Your hand,” Matt said as he turned and as he looked at Techie his smile dropped. “I thought you had your hand,-” Matt’s eyes widened and his face paled. “There’s something crawling up my back,”

“Turn around,” Techie said 

“Oh my GOD!” Techie glared at the receptionist who couldn’t stay quiet. A girl called Rachel who usually seemed quite helpful. Matt tensed and twisted to look over his shoulder at Techie. 

“What? What is it?” Matt asked. Techie could feel the anxiety rolling off him in waves.

“Hold still,” He said

“Techie, what is it?”

“Just stay calm. It’s a tarantula. I’m going to get it-”

“Techie! Techie get it off. Get it off,” 

“Hold still and I will,” Techie caught him by the shoulders and held him still as the tarantula crept up towards his hand. He wasn’t sure if any minute Matt’s legs would give out.

“Oh my god, oh my god,” Matt said, his hands were clenched at his sides and Techie was careful to pull away slowly.

“There we are, She’s safe now,” Techie said as he cupped the tarantula close to his chest so she wouldn’t fall.

“She’s safe!” Matt’s clenched fists were shaking in front of him. 

“She’s scared,” Techie cooed as he glanced up to find one of the activists who might retrieve the spider, “They shouldn’t have brought her here, she probably doesn’t like the way it smells,”

“I, I can’t,” Matt turned on his heel and disappeared down the corridor. 

“I never pictured anything getting to him like that,” Rachel said.

“I should go,” Techie said and held out the spider to the receptionist.

“Don’t give that thing to me,” She turned her nose up and pretended to be called away by another woman at the front desk.

 

It took Techie a long five minutes to find one of the activists who was willing to take the spider from him. Even as they did so another behind them took several steps backwards to stay out of reach. 

“Why do you work here if you actually care about animals like these?” One had asked him. Techie ducked his head and left before they could badger him for an answer or one of the managers showed up and accused him of working with the demonstrators to disrupt business. He could have his wages docked or be fired if they accused him of looking at the protestors sympathetically.

When he finally found Matt there was a hole in the wall beside him and his grazed knuckles oozed blood. When Matt looked up he startled and his eyes immediately went to Techie’s hands at his sides.

“You don’t have it with you do you?” Matt asked.

“No. I gave it back to the guys upstairs. It’s in a travel crate and security were moving in to escort them off the premises,” Techie explained as he reached where Matt stood. He wasn’t sure if he should reach out or not.

“Okay,” Matt nodded and dropped his gaze to his hands clenched in fists in front of him

“Arachnophobia is normal,” Techie said as he counted Matt’s breaths. His intake breath was quicker than normal but he was trying to calm himself with every long exhale.

“You’re not scared,” Matt said. 

“Not of spiders. I know what the dangerous ones look like. My brother studied them for a project in school,” Techie said, “I don’t like cats,”

“Cats?” Matt looked up finally meeting Techie’s eyes. 

“As a kid I thought they were harbingers of death or something. They’re creepy and appear out of no-where,” Techie said, gesturing with his hands as he spoke “My brother had a cat and cats that weren’t his kept turning up in the house just looking at you and wiping themselves on my stuff,” Techie shuddered. Matt chuckled and caught one of his hands to pull him in closer.

“We’ll be useless at Halloween won’t we. no spiders, no cats,”

“I don’t mind owls, or wolves. They’re halloween-y,” Techie “And pet rats are sweet,”  
Mattie groaned and dropped his head to Techie’s shoulder. 

“No rats,”


End file.
